call - The Australia Council's Second Life residency

**Pioneering Second Life artist to inspire Australian artists**

On 12 July, the Australia Council for the Arts, in partnership with
the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), will host its first
ever artist forum in Second Life.

The in-world event, to be moderated by ABCs Sunday Arts
reporter/producer Fenella Kernebone, is for the Australia Councils
inaugural Second Life artist residency.

In an open forum at 7pm (EST) on ABC Island, Paris-based artist and
architect Brad Kligerman - one of the first artists in Second Life to
complete an in-world residency - will present his work, discuss ideas
and answer participants questions.

Brad, an architect and teacher, completed his 11-week residency with
US-based Ars Virtua <http://arsvirtua.com>
a new media centre and gallery in Second Life, where he questioned
the idea of materiality in the rendered environment and the nature of
image.

Australia Council chief executive officer Kathy Keele said the
partnership with the ABC was a great fit with the Australia Councils
Second Life initiative. The ABC was the first Australian media
organisation to establish a presence in Second Life and we are
excited about working with them on this project.

We hope that Australian artists gain valuable insight from Brad
Kligermans successful art interventions in Second Life and that they
will be inspired to create innovative works in-world that will place
them at the forefront of this groundbreaking practice, Kathy Keele
said.

The Australia Council has also set up an artists' forum in Second
Life for artists looking for other artists with whom to collaborate.
The moderated artists forum can be found at ABC Island
<http://slurl.com/secondlife/ABC%20Island/128/128/0/>
and the Australian Film, Television and Radio School (AFTRS) Island,
Esperance <http://slurl.com/secondlife/Esperance/91/107/23/>
(please note these Second Life URLs or SLURLs link to locations in
Second Life).

Opened in February 2007, ABC Island explores new and different ways
to present content to its audiences. As well as creating social
spaces for Second Life visitors, the island showcases Australian
talent and creativity in an innovative way.

Places for the 12 July Second Life event are limited. To register
email slrsvp@ozco.gov.au
with your Second Life Avatar name. The event will be streamed live
at http:slcn.tv.
A vodcast of the event will also be available on the ABC Sunday Arts
website <http://abc.net.au/sundayarts>
. Sunday Arts screens Sundays at 5.00pm.

The Australia Councils Second Life residency will enable a team of
up to three artists, including a writer, musician/sound artist and
digital visual media practitioner to collaborate on the development
of inter-disciplinary artwork in Second Life. The project, which will
take place online, will require the artists to explore the
possibilities of literary, music/sound art and real time 3-D arts
practices within the virtual realm.

The residency is open to Australian citizens and permanent residents.
Applications close on 27 July 2007. For more information visit
http://www.ozco.gov.au/rez

For more information on Ars Virtua and Brad Kligerman visit
http://www.arsvirtua.com